Why are humans fascinated with gossip?

[ManOnFire]

People like hearing things about others, especially if it's information about their personal lives or something else unknown about them. Even if it's incorrect information people still want to know it, whether it's about people in their orbit or celebrities.

I have co-workers who not only spend a ton of time gossiping at work, but even on their days off they spend hours talking about the same people at work. How do I know this? Because they will tell me what they were talking about over the weekend! They have no life or other focuses. Why? Why is gossip so fascinating to people?

[ohsheeT]

To be honest it's a form of evilness

It is a dark side

To wear when people don't have a life they create one to keep their mind busy they don't care that they judge they don't care if they know the whole story it's to take a good person down and make them just like them the gossiper misery loves company

It brings attention to them I'll negative They just don't understand it

That's why there are so many good people that are single that are loners because they don't want any part of it that's not what life is all about

A person that really loves himself Herself doesn't want to be involved in other people's misery so they stay out of it when they know something about somebody else to keep their mouth shut because it's none of their business and they don't have to try to make themselves look good they let themselves their actions speak speak for themselves

[ManOnFire]

All correct. Even the Bible warns against gossip, something I did not fully take seriously until recent years. When I was a kid and read those scriptures they didn't mean much to me about gossip, but now I see them.

[Tomislav7]

I don't know i get gossiped about a lot by women but i wouldn't say theyre no life losers or miserable, in fact they look like they got their sht together

[ManOnFire]

@Tomislav7 Women gossip period. They are just going to do it anyway. That's why it appeals to them more than men.

[msg321]

Because when we gossip we think we are better than people who we gossip about.

[msg321]

It is a way to boost ego.

[ManOnFire]

Very good observation.

[msg321]

Ok waiting for mho 😂

[ManOnFire]

Was already planning it but hold tight lol

[msg321]

Thanks, man 😊

[FreyaRed]

It satisfies their lower instincts, for me it's mental weakness.

Personally I hear what others have to say but I don't redistribute such information. You lose credibility when you play such games and you can gain hidden enemies and this isn't smart at all.

[beenherebefore]

Because humans are meant to socialize and not live in isolation. Also gossip is a survival mechanism it was through gossip that our ancestors learn to survive. I encourage you to read about it.

[ManOnFire]

Survival? I highly doubt that, but I'll definitely look it up.

[RavVid]

Interesting question. I guess at the first level, humans are story tellers and some of the stories have become classics. Like Helen of Troy. I was surprised recently to read her husband took her back. Weird as Paris knocked her up 3 or 4 times.

I guess also at work, there is often politics and gossip is to some degree figuring out the politics.

I am not at all interested in gossip because the workplace should be only about work

A guy I worked with was asked to work overtime on a Saturday. He politely declined saying he was being married on that Saturday. Hadn't mentioned anything about it or having a girlfriend till that point.

That is the way it ought to be.

[ManOnFire]

Especially in the workplace. It's the absolute worst environment for gossip - even bosses are hungry for details.

Surprised by Helen of Troy. Wow.

[RavVid]

Doesn't sound a good work environment. Personality politics goes hand in hand with gossip. You OK in that environment?

[Texaskid1]

It's fun , it's juicy and people want to know what is going on because people are nosey and because it is something to talk about.

Our government loves gossip. Look how the FBI kept tabs on all sorts of figures from JFK to Martin Luther King Jr. Look how J Edgar Hoover ( founder of the FBI). had (allegedly) a whole secret filing cabinet on every dirty secret on so many politicians , singers, actors and a gazillion other people. He would then use that info to blackmail people into silence or doing stuff for him.

[nolabels]

At the moment, I find that, out of necessity in describing the phenomenon, I'd have to 'go there'.

I won't, at this time.

I'll ponder the subject in hopes of being able to comment without succumbing to that prideful behavior.

Hey, wait.

Pride.

Yeah, pride.
Self-righteousness, too.

[Tomislav7]

Gossip is thrill, excitement. Its like news, something new to be informed about. Whether good or bad. My sexuality has always been a topic of discussion by women at work, school or in public. Either im being questioned amongst friends or being called a slur

[MontBlanc]

Because it feeds curiosity and social comparison.

Gossip isn’t just about others, it’s often about how people position themselves within a social hierarchy.

[ManOnFire]

Or more like how they position the other person in a social hierarchy so that the other person will be perceived a certain way.

Getting involved in gossip does not raise you to any significant social status. At best you are just the person everyone goes to to "get the tea," but almost no one really likes or cares about you and still thinks of you as the town busybody at the end of the day.

[AMS700CX4u2]

I don't know why, but I think it is linked to natural curiosity. An of course scandal is linked with the possiblilty of failure and certainly reduction in the chance to walk closer to the Alpha male.

[thegreenyogi]

Because it's like being able to open the Pandora box and look inside it for free. I think it gives people a sense of power to know juicy facts about people whether it's true or not.

[ManOnFire]

This is true. And then the irony is that once people start gossiping about gossipers then they get in their feelings about it. I've seen that so many times. The gossiper becomes the person feeling all sad and not wanting to talk to anyone anymore once it gets done to them lol

[NaultD]

Human evolution. People fuck up and get embarrassed and there face becomes flushed red. I recognize it messed up I'm taken this lesson to heart please let it go.

[NathanDavis]

some of the best gossipers I know are great multi-taskers... so they can very well do their work but won't stop gossiping...

[genericname85]

i guess it distracts them from their own problems.

[ManOnFire]

Probably true.

[Anonymous]

Hmm 🧐 I've heard some say a saying "knowledge is power" - and some maybe it's like the sitcom Seinfeld - various neurotic impulses

[noohair]

Gossip is the original social media.

[ManOnFire]

Wow this is a great analogy.

[beefcakebradybatson]

People want to know the worst about others.

[ManOnFire]

Absolutely correct. Because they hope to find out that you are doing worse than them.

[Anonymous]

I'm not, but I know many bad people who like gossiping.

[Shiprex]

Information about others is useful

[ManOnFire]

This can be true in a very base sense.

[Grilo]

People like bad news

[Jeff51]

Not into drama

[WhiteBoyChill]

Not me, it bores me

[Anonymous]

Because gossip is fun. Lol

[sage2021]

I'm not at all!!

[fish5505_87]

Scuttlebutt is fun!